Ireland's only community chef launches new collection of festive Christmas recipes

The Christmas period can be a very stressful time for a family and sometimes the pressure of preparing a "perfect" Christmas Dinner can be too much for some Mums and Dads.

Community Chef Brian McDermott, from Donegal, has teamed up with the Craft Butchers of Ireland and produced a new "Collection of Festive Recipes" which will help to take the take the pressure off the home-cook and leave more time for festive fun! This is a new simple guide to a perfect Christmas Dinner!

Brian McDermott is Ireland's first dedicated Community Chef and is passionate about food, reducing salt, tackling obesity, growing his own and supporting local produce. His innovative and relaxed style of cooking is featured at food festivals from Donegal to Cork, where he shares the stage with his good friend and mentor Neven Maguire.

The "Collection of Festive Recipes" booklet is being launched Wednesday 12th December and can be picked up, for free, in Craft Butchers shops all over Ireland.

Chef Brian takes you through all aspects of the perfect Christmas Dinner giving tips from a wonderful simple Soup, a Smashing Stuffing & mixed Roasted Potatoes and Vegetables. His fresh Cranberry Sauce recipe will make a wonderful change from the usual and his easy-to-make Baked Alaska will be a family favourite for years to come.

Brian's Tasty Christmas Turkey

The "Collection of Festive Recipes" booklet gives comprehensive instructions on how to prepare and cook your Christmas Turkey and Festive Glazed Ham with ease and includes extra cooking tips for all the dishes! You can pick up a free copy of the booklet in your local Craft Butchers or Download the eBook version at http://communitychef.ie/ebook/index.html

Brian McDermott, from Moville, Co Donegal, is Ireland’s first dedicated Community Chef and author of a successful cookery book “Reunite with Food”. He has a weekly radio slot on BBC Radio Foyle. Brian encourages communities across Ireland to eat healthy on a budget while improving their nutrition and well-being.

Brian runs a Cookery School in Moville, Co Donegal and is also the founder of "Cookery School Live" Ireland's Only Mobile Cookery Demonstration Theatre. This purpose-built demonstration unit is available for Food Festivals, Schools, Fundraisers, Pop Up, Cookery School, Product Launches, Cookery Competitions, Ready-Steady-Cooks.

September 2012 saw the introduction of “The Certified Craft Butcher of Ireland” accreditation. This is an independently audited standard of the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland, thereby guaranteeing the highest standards in food, customer service and product knowledge.

Throughout the cities, towns and villages of Ireland, the local Craft Butcher continues to serve the local community as he has done for many generations passed. Behind the counter of your local butcher shop are the many familiar faces you have come to know and trust, with their many years of knowledge and skill in their craft.